Tobacco-stemming machine.



N0. 694,l30. Patented Feb. 25, I902.

A. J. BUSH. TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

Ju1y7 1900.)

(Application filed (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet I.

n 694,130. Patented Feb. 25, I902.

- A. .1. susn.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 7 1900.)

(Ne Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

" Zz l I 5% 137 I i I z w I UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

ANDREYV J. BUSH, OF KAUFMAN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR .OF ONE-HALF TO A. O. GREEN, OF PALESTINE, TEXAS.

TOBACCO-STEMMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,130, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed July 7, 1900. Serial No. 22,844. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, ANDREW J. Buss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kaufman, in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-Stemming Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tobacco-stemming machines; and it has for its'object to produce a machine of this character which shall be simple, cheap, and efficient; and it consists in the improved construction and novel combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View through the machine, showing the cutters in edge view, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the cleaners for cutters.

In machines of this character it is necessary that the leaf of tobacco to be operated upon should be carried forward as rapidly as possible and with as little danger of mutilation as is consistent with rapidity and perfection of operation.

In the machine which I have invented I provide a suitable framework 1, having a smooth fiat surface, upon which the tobacco is spread and carried forward. The top of the table is composed of sections the forward one of which, 2, extends the whole width of the frame and from the front portion thereof nearly to the cutters, and the rear ones, 3, extend from the cutters 4 to the rear end of the frame and from the sides of the cutters to the sides of the frame, respectively, a space being formed between the sections for the passage of the stems after the leaf has passed between the cutters. A suitable feed-board 5 projects forwardly in front of the frame for the reception of the leaf before it is fed into the machine.

The cutters comprise two rotary disks 6, which are secured to the central portion of the shafts 7, the ends of which are j ournaled in bearings S at the sides of the machine. The shafts are arranged one above the other, with the contacting edges of the disks or the cutters substantially on a line with the top ofthe table or machine. The disks may be of the ordinary grooved construction with the edges of one overlapping the edge of the other, so that the stem or mid-rib of the leaf may pass through the grooves,while the sides of the leaf will be severed therefrom by the overlapping portions of the cutters. The cutter-shafts are preferably provided with intermeshing gear-wheels 9 at one end and may be driven from any suitable source of poweras, for instance,the driving-wheel 10. The bearings for the upper roller are preferably made adjustable by means of the temper-screws11,which areiscrewed down through the tops of the brackets 12, within which the bearings of the shafts are located.

A shaft 13 is journaled transversely'across the front end of the machine by means of brackets 14 and is formed or provided with a roller 15. One end of the shaft projects be yond its bearing and is provided with a pulley 16, by means of which it' is driven by a pulley 17 on the lower feed-shaft 7 through the belt 18. A roller 19 is journaled transversely across the frame between the inner end of the forward section 2 and the cutters. A wide belt 20 runs over the rollers 15 and 19,

with a portion thereofmoving on top of the table and a portion below, the portion of the belt on top moving toward the cutters.

J ournaled on top of the frame by means of brackets 21 are two rollers 22, the shaft of the forward one of which extends beyond. its bearing and is provided with av pulley 23. The pulley 23 is driven from a pulley 24 on the upper shaft 7 by means of a belt 25. A belt 26 passes over the rollers 22 with its end portion arranged to travel toward the cutters and in such close proximity to the upper portion of the belt 20 that a leaf of tobacco will be firmly gripped between them and carried forward. The belts 20 and 26 are wide enough to extend substantially from one side of the machine to the other, so as to carry forward the largest-sized leaves. If desired, the rollers over which the belts pass may be provided with grooves 27, through which the stem of the leaf will pass Without being crushed as it is being carried forward to the rollers, the grooves being arranged at the center of the rollers, so as to be substantially in alinement with the disks or cutters, whereby they may assist in guiding the stem in between the cutters. The belt 26 is preferably a trifle shorter than the belt 20, so as to leave a small portion of the forward end of the lower belt exposed for the convenient insertion of the leaf between the two belts.

The lower shaft 7 is preferably provided with a drum or roller 28 upon each side of the cutter, upon which is mounted a belt 29, the rear end of which passes over a roller 30 at therear end of the table. Two rollers 30, one for each side of the table, are mounted upon a shaft 31, which is journaled at its ends in brackets 32. The brackets preferably extend beyond the rear of the frame, so that the belt will deliver the leaves at a sufficient distance from the frame 1.

Secured at the inner or adjacent edges of the sections 3 are longitudinalrods 33, upon which are secured :strips or pieces of wiregauze or other suitable material. There are two rods for each section, one at the top or above the same and the other at a suitable distance below, so that the woven wire upon the two sides will form a passage-way through which the tobacco-stems are delivered after coming frombetween the rollers without becoming entangled with the belts or portions of the leaf carried thereby.

As is well known, the gum from tobaccoleaves is apt to collect upon the knives or cutters andprevent their running close enough together to cut the leaf without danger of tearing it. To obviate this difliculty, I provide my machine with a scraper or cleaner for each cutter, as shown fullyin Figs. 5 and 6, to avoid confusion in other views. The cleaner for the upper cutter is formed from a plate of metal 3%, which has one edge provided with a notch or recess 35, by means of which the plate is adapted to fit down over theupper portion of the cutter, so that the as shown.

portion of the plate at the bottom of the recess will engage with the periphery of the cutter and the sides will engage with the sides of the cutter. The cleaner for the lower cutter is formed in the same manner from a plate 36, one edge of which is provided with two recesses 37', through which pass the knives or cutting-blades forming the sides of said cutter. These cleaners are preferably supported by brackets 38 and 39, carried by the frame,

By providing cleaners for the cutters in this manner the gum from the leaves Will be scraped off the cutters as rapidly as it accumulates, and thus permit of the cutters running in close contact at all times, so as to cut the edges of the leaves from the stems without danger of tearing or mutiiating the leaf in any manner.

In using my machine the leaves of tobacco are smoothed out upon the table in front of the machine and are then fed in between the forward belts one at a time with the stem of the leaf arranged in substantial alinement with the cutters. The wide belts will then engage with the leaf and feed it forward until the stem is caught between the rollers, which will further assist in feeding the leaf forward. As soon as the leaf has passed between the cutters the stem will be delivered through the pa'ssagebetween the rear sections of the table, while the sides of the leaves will be carried forward by the belts arranged between the cutters and the sides. In this manner the leaves can be rapidly stemmed and delivered ready for subsequent use. By means of the temper-screws at the ends of the shafts any desired amount of pressure between the cutters may be secured and themachine be thereby adapted for different grades or sizes of tobacco-leaves. The machine is strong and compact and can be readily secured in position by any ordinary means and power applied from any convenient source.

Although I have shown what I consider the most desirable form of constructing my improved tobacco-stemming machine, yet I reserve the right to make such changes and alterations therein aswill come within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Inatobacco-stemmingmachine,thecombination, with a frame, of cutters arranged therein, a wide delivery-belt in front of the cutters and two discharge-belts to the rear thereof the belts at the rear being spaced apart and the cutters being located between them, substantially as described.

2. In a tobacco-stemming machine,the combination, with a frame, of cutters journaled therein, a wide belt in front of the cutters, two narrower belts at the rear thereof the belts at the rear being spaced apart and the cutters being located between them and guards adjacent to the rear belts, substantially as described.

In a tobacco-stemming machine,the combination, with a frame, the top of which is formed in sections, of cutters journaled between the front and rear sections, a belt for each section, said sections, each lying between the upper and lower plies of its respective belt, and a belt journaled above the belt over the forward section, substantially as described.

4. In a tobacco-stemming machine,the combination, with a frame, the top of which is provided with a wide section in front and two narrower sections at the rear, the rear sections being at a slight distance from each other, of cutters journaled between the rear sections at their forward ends, the contacting edges of the cutters being substantially even with the top of the table, a belt for each of the sections each section lying between the upper and lower plies of its respective belt,

section, belts upon the rollers on the lower,

shaft and at the rear end of the frame, and a belt above the wide belt at the forward end of the machine, substantially as described.

6. Inatobacco-stemmingmachine,thecombination, with a frame, the top of which is provided with front and rear sections, of rollers journaled at the front and rear of the frame, a roller journaled at the rear of the front section, cutter-shafts journaled transversely of the frame, one above the other,

the lower oneof Which is provided with roll-i ers, a belt upon the rollers in front of the cutters, belts on the rollers of the cutter-shafts and at the rear of the machine, two rollers journaled at the front of the machine above the front section, a belt thereon. arranged to move substantially in contact with the belt on the front section, the rollers at the front sections being grooved substantially midway of their length, the grooved portions being arranged in substantialalinement with the cutters, substantially as described.

7. Inatobacco-stemming1nachine,the combination, with a frame, the top of which is yond its bearings, a pulley thereon, shafts ournaIed transversely of the machine between the front and rear sections, grooved cutters upon the central portion of said shafts, one end of each of the cutter-shafts projecting beyond its bearings and, provided with a pulley, a belt from each of said pulleys to its respective pulley on the shafts at the front of the machine, rollers upon the lower cuttershaft, feed-belts upon the rollers in front of the cutters, and discharge-belts upon the rollers of the cutter-shafts and at the rear of the machine, substantially as described.

8. In atobacco-stemming machine,the combination, with a frame, the top of which is provided with a front section and two rear sections, the rear sections being at a distance from each other, of cutters between the rear sections, feed-belts in front of the cutters and discharge-belts at the rear th ereof, longitudinal rods arranged at the inner edges of the rear sections, and guards'uponsaid rods,there being a guard at the inner edge of each of the rear sections, substantially as described.

ANDREW J. BUSH.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. BOGGS, DANIEL B. MIZELL. 

